On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:19:15 -0400, Hipupchuck
wrote:

I don't think digital is ready for prime time.
I haven't had a single digital cell phone conversation without some
audio ****ups of some kind. I can't watch a single television program or
documentary without some kind of audio or video ****up of some kind.
I listen to PBS radio a lot and every day they have some audio or RF
****up of some kind or some ****ing emergency test ****up of some kind.
This is digital **** is really a ****ed up system. Maybe I'm too old or
something but I don't remember this problem in the old days with analog
things.
If you don't remember a problem with analog you have a very short
memory. Mine isn't perfect, but I can recall:

Phones (land line): Humming, buzzing, echos on the lines.

Phones (cordless): All of the above, plus fading within 100 ft.

Phones (Analog Cell): Big, heavy,short battery life, constant signal
loss problems.

Radio (AM): Interference from any spark source, including lightning,
automobile ignition, electric drills, 'Skil Saws' and electric fence
chargers. Also signal fading and interference from distant stations.

Radio (FM): Multipath interference, drifting, loss of signal while
driving.

Television: Interference from aircraft, lightning, and every other
source imaginable. Also crappy picture, drifting color and sweep
frequency.

Digital TV isn't perfect, but it also hasn't had 6 decades of
improvements. If you want a demonstration of the potential of digital
TV, take a DVD player, ideally one with both S-video and component
outputs, a 19" analog TV, one of Sony's older Digital sets (such as
the KDL-19M4000), and an appropriate antenna (I'm using a Winegard
GS-1000). Play a recent DVD and compare the picture on your 'perfect'
analog TV and on the digital TV. Then tune in to a HD digital
broadcast. A golf broadcast on CBS is ideal.

PlainBill